


Gentle Fire, Melodic Song

by Rays_Of_Write



Series: Linked Universe Oneshots & Drabbles [13]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: And technically Tulip is Hyrule's oc because I'm not emotionally invested what are you talking about, Campfire, Gen, Hyrule's a great storyteller, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27182474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rays_Of_Write/pseuds/Rays_Of_Write
Summary: "On a cool night, the blazing fire of reds and oranges and hints of gold present, the Links needed something to take their mind off things.Stories, tales were on their minds, something to fill the quiet gap.The blaze held an unspoken question and Hyrule answered, his words burning the quiet atmosphere, flames licking up the last of it."It started with a storm."Glowing magic illuminated his eyes, which held excitement with bits of nostalgia floating within them. The tale he would tell had meaning."--Hyrule tells a story!
Series: Linked Universe Oneshots & Drabbles [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777828
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Gentle Fire, Melodic Song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [liccy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liccy/gifts).



> This work is inspired by a piece Liccy did, which can be found [here!](https://liccy.tumblr.com/post/188209857634)
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy! I really loved writing this!

Warmth flickered throughout the area as sparks of the fire floated away before disappearing into nothingness. There was only warmth it seemed, no sound, save the spoon in Wild’s hand picking up soup and the light clinks of the potions on Hyrule’s belt. 

It wasn’t a bad silence, the type that beckoned darkness and foes, rather the quietness of a hidden pond in the distance, calm. 

But on a cool night, the blazing fire of reds and oranges and hints of gold present, the Links needed something to take their mind off things. 

Stories, tales were on their minds, something to fill the quiet gap. 

The three, Sky, Wild, and Hyrule looked at one another as if expectant of someone to speak. Wild spooned another bite of his soup into his mouth, smiling slightly at the taste of vegetable broth and chicken pieces, a traditional meal that lightened the spirits. Sky looked downward, not wanting to speak either, perhaps afraid to break the mood, or just focused on the heat of the blazing campfire, its mesmerizing flicks of heat and amber. 

The blaze held an unspoken question and Hyrule answered, his words burning the quiet atmosphere, flames licking up the last of it. 

“ _It started with a storm._ ” Two pairs of eyes settled on the traveler, who, with a moment of flare, snapped his fingers, a stretch of green lightning between them. The glowing magic illuminated his eyes, which held excitement with bits of nostalgia floating within them. The tale he would tell had meaning. 

“ _A storm of fury and might. Waves trembled in fear, while some of the water swelled up, trying to fight the darkened clouds. But the battle that went on for years swallowed up many travelers. Our main character is one of them._ ” Hyrule paused, smiling slightly. “She would be 16 now. It’s been a while since I’ve told this story.”

“What does she look like?” Sky asked. 

Hyrule took a moment, building an image in his mind. “She has fair skin and rich brown hair falling to her shoulders, and a thin cotton dress with a pale green over-layer that both fall to her knees. She’s got high socks that peek out of her boots. She hasn’t seen a soul in years; she doesn’t have a name.”

Hyrule’s hand lit up with energy for dramatic affect. _“It struck her boat and she fell into the sea, her unconscious form carried to an island far away._ ” 

His fist closed up, any glow peeking out, gone. 

_“She woke up with a facefull of sand, memories fuzzy. A gentle voice that seemed unreal clouded up her senses. Brushing off sand that stuck to her legs and arms, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander. Wander up the mountains and across the field of grass. The music came from the grass and without hesitation she ran towards it, something pulling her towards the voice._

_She met a grassy field and saw a large tree, some figure underneath it. The notes came from there._

_As she got closer she saw the figure, she saw a lady humming a mesmerizing song. The woman was clothed in a white cloth, wrapping all around her, a rope belt tied at the center. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail, its color a muted but powerful green. The green-haired singer opened her eyes and noticed the girl next to her, stopping her song. She smiled and began speaking, asking for the young girl's name. She was told that the girl did not have one, as she knew nothing about her past._

_The singer thought, looking at the necklace the girl wore. A symbol; some kind of flower and the woman said the first one that came to her; a tulip._

_The girl smiled and accepted the name with pride._

_The siren sighed, stretching her arms above her head, revealing silver and pale green scales that were before covered by the soft fabric she wore. Tulip—_ ”

“What is she?” Wild interrupted, setting his bowl onto the ground.

“Huh?”

“The singer?”

“Now that I think of it, I’ve never heard of things like these. Yeah, what is she?” Sky added. 

“A siren.” Hyrule explained, adding a log to the fire. “Have you never heard of them?”

Two shakes of heads.

“They have three forms, either in the water, in which they turn into a mermaid-like being or on land, where they have legs and the occasional scale. The third is a dragon-like form with wings. They don’t often take that form.” The two nodded along enthusiastically with his every word. 

“Can I continue?” Another two nods. “ _Great, Tulip noticed the siren sigh heavily, her gaze following out to the sea. The girl asked what was wrong._

_‘Nothing.’ the siren replied. ‘Well I suppose I’m just a little down. Seeing someone reminded me that I haven’t seen my sisters in a long time.’_

_Tulip asked why she couldn’t just visit them._

_‘It isn’t that simple.’ the green-haired woman told her. She pulled out a silver key attached to a chain which hung around her neck, hidden from view by the while fabric. ‘This allows me to transform from my default form but with the many, many years the magic became weaker. The key itself is not the magic, it just holds it.’_

_The siren thought for a second before posing an offer. ‘There should be enough magic to keep you safe under the water. It won’t transform you but you will be able to breathe. Would you mind finding my sister and asking her to refill the key?’_

_Tulip nodded, taking—_ ”

“What!?” Sky interrupted. “How could she let a 16 year old do something like that?”

Hyrule let out a little chuckle. “It’s just a story. I promise nothing bad’s gonna happen, she won’t get hurt. I don’t think a 12 year old me would’ve liked it if a giant squid ate her or something.” That earned him a laugh from Wild and a sigh of relief from Sky. 

“ _Let’s see._

_Tulip nodded, taking the key. It felt a bit heavier than she expected and it was stunning. She loved the way the light shined off it just right, hints of rainbow on the shining surface. It had three straight teeth instead of the normal mountain like ones, most likely representing the siren’s three forms._

_She hung it around her neck and tucked it under her dress, along with her flower necklace. Tulip ran back to the sand and slowly inching her way into the water, fully clothed. The water cooled her feet and it crashed against her boots playfully, somehow not getting them wet. She supposed it was the magic of the key, which seemed to be glowing slightly under her dress._

_Soon, the water touched her nose and with another step she entered the place beneath the waves. She could now hear a soft melodic sound, originating from the silver key. Siren magic._

_Beneath the blue it was different. She could walk on the sand, eyes open and breathing. She did not feel the weight of water on her clothes and her hair floated slightly. The siren music wrapped around her and it all felt like something out of a dream.”_

Smiles and faces of wonder formed on the other two. It sounded unreal to them, yet so reachable. Sky had been deep in the water, but not easily. Just walking in with something to protect her with nothing else. Wild had never had the chance to do such a thing, but they both knew that some of their companions had done something of the like. 

And yet it seemed impossible. A good kind of impossible. 

Hyrule grinned, happy the other liked the story and continued. _“Soon she could swim easily, like floating through clouds. The water grew darker as she went deeper. She could not see anymore, blind to the world in front of her, the night-time colors erasing her vision. She could only see hints of large things._

_Tulip stopped, no longer knowing what to do. On instinct she closed her eyes and listened; the songs had guided her, maybe it would help once more._

_It did._

_A different song but still the same aura, just more powerful, like the waves of the sea instead of running across the grass— but still a siren song._

_Tulip found herself in front of an entrance to a large cave and the music became louder. She swam into it, banging her head on an overhanging rock. She brought her hands to her head and ceased her swimming movements, letting the magic keep her steady in the abyss of water._ ” 

Wild gasped, placing his hand atop his heart in a mocking and playful manner. “You lied!”

“How?”

“You said you’d never hurt her!” 

Hyrule rolled his eyes, smiling. 

“She’ll be fine.”

Sky looked at Hyrule, a glare that meant no good for him if Tulip was ever harmed again. 

“You promise?” 

“I promise.” 

The Skyloftian calmed, letting Hyrule continue. 

The traveler’s eyes fell onto the fire as he told the next part, absorbing its strength and warmth. 

“ _She entered the cave carefully, still holding her aching head. A figure sat on a rock, a tail of silver scales facing Tulip. The siren had dark skin and blue hair braided back and pulled into two buns, barely visible behind her head. Accompanying her lovely voice was a small harp. Her fingers plucked the strings and Tulip smiled to herself._

_The blue-haired siren finally noticed her. Her fingers stopped making music and she beckoned the girl in front of her to come forward, asking for her name._

_Tulip told her of the green-haired siren who gave her a name and sent her to find the blue-haired siren._

_'My sister’s key has run out of magic?” The siren looked worried, a silent question asking if the green-haired siren was okay, upon her lips._

_Tulip smiled reassuringly before answering the spoken question. 'Almost,' The girl told the siren. 'But enough to get me here.'_

_The girl took the key out from underneath her dress to show the older woman, who played a few notes on her harp, decorated with red to add pops of color to the otherwise completely gold frame._

_A large bubble arose from the instrument and floated to Tulip, wrapping around her form tightly before vanishing._

_‘A breathing spell,’ the siren told her. With that the girl handed over the key, humming the notes of the siren song absentmindedly._

_The blue-haired siren examined it, frowning. ‘I’m afraid I can’t fix it.’_

_‘Why not?’ Tulip asked._

_The blue-haired woman explained that she needed two types of magic to fix it. It had enough land magic, the reason why the middle tooth of the key shined a bit more than the other two._

_‘I have enough sea magic; it’s going to be the sky magic that will be the problem. And I’m afraid I’m out of it as well so I can’t get some.'_

_Tulip noticed a horn made of the three types of gold, rose, normal, and silver. The silver gold was strong and vibrant, but the others had dulled overtime. The horn was the blue-haired siren’s key._

_‘I have another sister. She lives atop a mountain. She must use sky magic! If you wouldn’t mind—’ She played a soft note on the harp, causing a scroll to appear. With another note a fully written letter laid on the parchment. ‘— could you take this and give it to her. When we are in our sky forms we aren’t quite as sociable.’_

_The young girl took the letter and slipped it into the small bag on her back._

_‘Oh!’ The siren rummaged through an open chest and pulled out a necklace with two feathers attached. ‘This will get you up the mountain quickly. It’s simple, just move upwards, they let you float.’_

_Tulip took them and thanked the siren as she tucked them under her dress with her other two necklaces. It was much lighter than the key, but that was to be expected, considering they were feathers._

_She floated back and the harp music danced in the sea again, guiding her through the blue._

_She soon reached the sand, without a single drop of water touching her hair or clothes. She moved a few feet from the water and jumped._

_When she opened her eyes she found herself hovering above the ground. Hovering wasn’t the right word for it. The sky became solid beneath her feet._

_She stepped upward, and the sky morphed its properties just to please her. Tulip made her way up into the sky, becoming level with the top of the mountain. The key began to sing once more, guiding her towards the last siren._

_She found herself in front of a cave and let the sky release her. Tulip dropped to the ground, her boots making a little thump against the rock. She walked in. No music played like it did for the others but rhythmic breathing was present, its source a dragon-like creature, maybe something like a devil without horns, just the pointed wings and scales._

_The last siren._

_Tulip inched further in, looking for a way to wake the sleeping siren. Her eyes fell on some drums and with a bit of hesitation she banged on them._

_It echoed pleasantly throughout the opening in the mountain. The siren stirred, her red hair shaking around as she sat up._

_The siren made a snarl-like sound as the young girl came into focus. Tulip gulped, throwing the letter and cowering behind her hands in hope they would protect her._

_The siren took the scroll, reading through it before apologizing. The voice of the last sister sounded more raspy than the others._

_The interaction between the two lasted minutes. Tulip was handed a jar of fiery magic. Sky magic in its raw form, fiery like the person who made it. Each bit of siren magic had its own mark, her’s a touch of flames._

_Tulip thanked the red-haired siren and walked out of the cave, gazing out at the land and sea, looking at the colorful horizon. It was different from seeing the sunset from a boat, then it seemed magical._

_The sun dipped itself in red that night and the sky danced with colors from blue to purple. How it existed in the world she didn’t know, but she just wanted to stay there forever._

_But she couldn’t. She dropped down to the land and followed the key through the water back to the blue-haired siren._

_She gave her the key and the sky magic, careful not to break the glass._

_The blue-haired siren grabbed the magic in her hand, scooping it up like it could be held. From her other hand she conjured a blue magic, a water magic. The siren pressed them together, compacting them into one ball of magic, a purple hue. She sang softly and fed the magic into the key, which reacted, glowing brightly._

_The siren gave the key back to Tulip and thanked her for all she did. The young girl nodded, not sure how to reply._

_The young girl said goodbye as she left, entering the water, leaving the cave._

_As she swam to the land, she encountered a school of bright fish, who tickled her arms as she swam near them._

_She touched sand and dashed to the green-haired siren, who smiled with great joy when she saw the young girl. Tulip handed the key back to the siren. The green-haired woman put it on, glowing white and green before slowly fading back to her normal look._

_‘Thank you’ she told the girl. Tulip smiled and on instinct asked a question that changed her life._

_‘Can I stay?’_

_She did stay. She spent her days on land, nights in the sea, and weekends in the sky._

_She found a family, and she was happy._ ”

It was quiet once again. A soft breeze ruffled Hyrule’s hair as the other two were wrapped up in thoughts of the ending. 

It ended happily for the young girl, Tulip, but their minds would travel to what Hyrule had told them about growing up. He hadn’t seen a soul before he got his sword. Was this story a wish?

Sky and Wild shook their thoughts aside, letting the fire fill the quiet once more. 

“Thank you.” They both said. What else was there to say?

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading and stan Tulip as much as I do!
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!


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